Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defends Novak Djokovic’s dip in form

Frenchman says he is excited to become a father next year and is confident about juggling responsibilties with his career, writes Osman Samiuddin.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has committed to playing in Abu Dhabi at the turn of the new year. Georg Hochmuth / AFP

Our conversation with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was in Abu Dhabi on Monday as the draw was made for next month’s Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Bye to injuries Tsonga will be competing at the MWTC on December 29-31 for a fifth, opening the tournament against Belgium's David Goffin. Tsonga will hope to put an injury-disrupted 2016 behind him. He had to retire injured from two majors this year, including the French Open, where a groin injury was the cause of a tearful first-round exit. He also had to quit a US Open quarter-final against Novak Djokovic with a knee injury.

A difficult year "2016 was really difficult for me with so many injuries. At the end of the season I came back strong, without problems," he said at the International Tennis Centre in Zayed Sports City yesterday. "I hope I can continue like this and start from Mubadala as good as possible. I know if I play well here, I have a chance to do well. The guy who wins here is really often top three at the end of the year."

The form of Andy Murray Murray beat Tsonga in the final of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna two weeks ago on the way to becoming world No 1. "I think he is the best player in the world at the moment," Tsonga said. "He played unbelievable the last six months and he completely deserves it. He shows that when you want something you can achieve it."

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Juggling fatherhood with tennis Sometime during the first half of next season, Tsonga will become a father for the first time. He does not think it will be a problem, however. "For me it is something unbelievable. I've always wished I could have a baby so it's just unbelievable. I'm looking forward to it. For me I think it will be easy to do both, to be a dad and be battling on court for victory. I think it's no problem."

On Novak Djokovic's year Despite winning two majors, Djokovic has had an indifferent second half to the year by his own high standards. Tsonga was philosophical about the dip. "You know, time changes things. It's not easy to be consistent through a whole career. I think Novak did really well already because he finished No 1 a few years in a row and today he is 'only' second. I think it is already a big season. It's already something unbelievable to be at his level and it is something we all look to achieve."

Is the era of the big four over? "To be honest, I don't know. Time changes things. You still have the big four who still play tennis. You have the other guys who are coming up and the young guys coming up too. They are talented. 2017 from my side will be the most interesting year of tennis."

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